Board

Meditation for Inner Peace and Self Mastery is a 501 (c)(3) non profit organization founded by people who are dedicated to the service and upliftment of humanity. The Board members are professionals in their fields, but volunteer their time to help and guide the organization. The Board members, and others who offer their time and lend financial support, are what make it possible for us to continue our mission.

Pandit Jerome Smith – Spiritual Director

Jerome is an ordained Pandit in the Himalayan Tradition. He received his yoga teaching certification through the Himalayan Institute and is a registered teacher through Yoga Alliance at the E-RYT 500 level (and a Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider – YACEP). His studies include several years of intensive training in India. As a teacher of the Himalayan Tradition, Jerome initiates students on behalf of the lineage and teaches and guides on various subjects such as Raja Yoga, Meditation, Tantra, and Vedanta.

Jerome has worked in the Integrative Medicine field for decades, bringing the teachings of Yoga to the realm of Western science. He lectures and teaches in educational institutions, corporations, and Yoga schools. Jerome is the spiritual director of Asheville Meditation Center, a non for profit spiritual organization based in Asheville NC, and also serves as a Spiritual Mentor for those who seek guidance.

Joan Anundson-Ahr, RYT – President

Joan resides in Evanston, Illinois with her husband, Tracy. She has been combining the practice of yoga within the Himalayan Tradition with raising a family and working as a medical assistant to an orthopedic spine surgeon. Joan attended yoga teacher training courses at the Evanston Himalayan Institute center and received her 200 hour teaching certification from the Palatine Illinois Himalayan Yoga and Meditation Center. She is listed with Yoga Alliance and is currently pursuing a 500 hour teaching certification. The practice of yoga was her rehabilitation while recovering from a back injury and spine surgery. Joan brings her experience and gratitude for the teachings from the Himalayan Tradition into the asana and meditation classes she teaches.

Sarah Kent – Secretary

Former Managing Editor of Yoga International Magazine, Sarah Kent has been practicing yoga since 2001. Her interests in meditation and Eastern philosophy led her to the Himalayan Institute in 2004, where she enrolled in the residential program, deepened her spiritual practice, and served on the operations staff. She completed her 200 hour teacher training there and joined the faculty. Over the last decade, as her understanding of yoga has grown, Sarah’s faith in herself, humanity, and God have flourished. She now resides in Asheville, NC, teaching part-time while continuing her career in Information Technology.

Cynthia Latimer, RYT – Treasurer

Cynthia Latimer graduated from National Louis University in 1999 with a double major in Psychology and Social Science. After graduation she moved to Seattle and spent a number of months traveling the world. Cynthia returned to Chicago where her family lives and began working for the Himalayan Institute Midwest Center. During this time in Chicago she began her long journey with teachings of the Tradition. In 2003 she furthered her education with the Institute’s Teacher Training program in Pennsylvania. Since then she has continued to see the world and has had the fortune to study with numerous master yoga teachers. Cynthia is also on the teaching staff of Meditation for Inner Peace.

Karen Koffler, MD

Karen Koffler (Medical Director – Canyon Ranch, Miami) is a major proponent of Integrative Medicine, and a consultant to the American Medical Association on this field. Prior to joining Canyon Ranch, Dr. Koffler was Director of Integrative Medicine at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare. Dr. Koffler studied for two years at the Fellowhip on Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center under Dr. Andrew Weil. Karen has practiced meditation and yoga for many years and is a student of the Himalayan Tradition.

Earon S. Davis, JD, MPH, LCMT

Earon Davis is a student of the Himalayan Tradition and a member of the Himalayan Institute. With backgrounds in law, public health, environment, writing and natural healing, Earon has experience as a board member and advisor for several nonprofit organizations. He is currently a bodyworker and integrative medicine specialist. Earon feels especially blessed with his three adult sons and a wonderful partner. He was drawn to the Himalayan Tradition because of its resonance with all religions, the wise and unassuming nature of its teachings, and the wonderful communities it inevitably attracts and supports.

Livia Adia Budrys, AM, LCSW, SEP

Livia is an initiative and student of the tradition since 1999. Livia has completed a two-year residency at the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy and over a decade of advanced Yoga certifications. She also holds a Masters of Social Service and Administration from the University of Chicago. Inspired by both traditions, she has studied and developed yoga therapy interventions in the treatment of mental illness and for the effects of trauma. She is a practitioner and consultant on the integration of yoga, neurobiology, somatics and psychotherapy practices in the healing of traumatization and the awakening of greater aliveness. www.liviabudrys.com

Eloise Bradham, MD

Eloise is an initiate in the Himalayan tradition since 2004. She is HITA yoga teacher-trained and certified in Ayurveda with Pandit Vamadeva Shastri. She is a western MD with an anesthesia practice as well as being board-certified in medical acupuncture. She works to fuse all of these types of healing.